Subject: 3W "Ancients" Dark Age Army Lists
From: jdyahoo@aol.com (JD Yahoo)
Here's six Dark Age (c.900) army lists for central and eastern Europe.
I have included some new unit types/variations.
1. PXS (6-1, 2-1) These represent masses of infantry using short pikes or
spears. They are similar to normal pikes in all ways except they are not
doubled against cavalry.
2. LIM (2-3,2-3) These represent light infantry adept at mountain and forest
fighting. They are not disordered by any terrain. Otherwise they are similar to
light infantry.
3. MMM (2B3, 1B3) There represent infantry missile troops adept at mountain and
forest ambushes. They are not disordered by any terrain. Otherwise similar to
mixed missile.
4. LCB (2B6, 1B6) These represent light cavalry who are outstanding archers as
well. They have "B" missile rating even when disordered, otherwise similar in
all respects to light cavalry.
And now the lists:
Viking: 5xHI, 1xHA
Rus: 4xPXS, 1xHC, 1xMM
Slav: 7xLIM, 4xMMM
Pole: 3xLA, 2xHC, 2xPXS
Magyar: 3xLCB, 1xHC, 1xPXS, 1xLIM
Bulgar: 2xLCB, 2xLIM, 1xHC, 1xPXS, 1xMMM
The above lists are roughly compatible with 40 point design-your-own armies.
The purpose is for fast-play (twenty minute scenarios) over beers or hot
chocolates on the porch at night with a coleman lantern.
As for campaign scenarios, you can keep track of losses, with the winners of
each battle regaining half their losses of their choice.
To determine who attacks and who defends, flip a coin. The winner of the toss
elects to attack or to defend. The defender determined by the toss chooses the
map to be used, places their camp, and places their forces within three hexes
of their camp. Then the attacker places their forces and camp no closer than
eight hexes from the enemy camp and start their turn first, and because they
have tactical surprise, there is no defender player actions in the first turn.
Thus the defender will not get to fire arrows, move leaders, rally, or roll for
mele attacks until the attacker has gone throught the sequence of play twice.
Keep the scenarios short. After six turns (including the first, "half-turn")
the attackers automatically panic (if neither army hasn't already), and after
eight turns the scenario ends. Normal panic rules still take precendent.
The winner of a campaign game will have the most battlefield victories or
largest remaining army.
Good gaming, and remember if it ain't fun, why bother. Place a one-minute time
limit on each players turn!
J.D.
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.
"We can't risk another frontal assault. That rabbit's dynamite."
-Attributed to King Arthur of the Britons
Subject: Re: 3W "Ancients" Dark Age Army Lists
From: jdyahoo@aol.com (JD Yahoo)
One more thing:
When placing the defender's camp, it's required to be more than three hexes
from the map edge.
Regular units that begin the game on bad terrain are not disordered.
The attacking units are setup at least TWO hexes from the nearest defender,
that makes the game go quicker and makes the surprise factor a little more
important.
Just played a scenario with the Vikings defending their camp from an onslaught
of Rus. What a battle! The Vikings were in a cramped position and their
infantry was never able to manuever around the dense formations of Rus. The
heavy Rus horsemen in the center broke through the Viking line as their spears
followed in a wedge. The Vikings finally lost half their troops and panicked,
losing the battle. The Rus only lost one group of spearmen, but of course they
rejoined their army when the looting of the Viking camp began!
J.D.
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.
"We can't risk another frontal assault. That rabbit's dynamite."
-Attributed to King Arthur of the Britons
Subject: Re: 3W "Ancients" Dark Age Army Lists
From: jdyahoo@aol.com (JD Yahoo)
Another scenario depiction using those lists and optional units:
Polish contingent on the plains searching for horses, encampment attacked just
before nightfall by Magyars.
The Magyars attack with horses on the flanks, with a few infantry in the
center. The Polish defend their camp in a semi-circle with their deadly archers
posted nearest their camp.
The Magyars begin the battle with a regular cavalry charge (no volleys from
their horse archers) and on one flank slightly infiltrate the Polish perimeter.
The Poles hold on the other flank, and their heavy spear infantry in the center
surges foreward to scatter the Magyar footmen. Magyar horsearchers begin their
volleys but are met with a hail of arrows from the Polish bowmen, who also
begin to surge foreward after the retreating Magyars. A few Magyars and Polish
heavy cavalry are deadlocked in mele at the east end of the encampment, but at
the other end the attackers' horse achers launch a stunning attack from behind
the camp, throwing the wagons and follwers into dsiorder, and finally the
Magyars assault the camp and light ti on fire. The Polish infantry and archers
in pursuit of their elusive opponents are thrown into panic by the flames and
smoke from their war chest and hurry to salvage their property. Finding it in
ruin, they cannot be rallied and become lawless and unstoppable in their
retreat from the scene of battle.
The Magyar chieftains were able to regain some of their lost men after the
battle, but many were slain by the great hail of arrows from their ememies'
bows, which were deadly accurate far beyond the range thought possible.
The Poles finally reorganized their army after the rout but found many of their
troops, bereft of defensive formations and fighting only for themselves, had
been slain by those of their enemies intenet more on vengeance than plunder.
Next up:
Slavs and Bulgars in a vicious battle in the dark, foggy forests where stealth
and ambush are equals of the finest armor and blades.
J.D.
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.
"We can't risk another frontal assault. That rabbit's dynamite."
-Attributed to King Arthur of the Britons